Smoked Salmon Sandwich

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Open faced smoked salmon sandwich with cream cheese and capers, a quick and healthy sandwich for any time of the day.

 

SALMON OPEN SANDWICH

 

 

This smoked salmon sandwich is the perfect sandwich, if you ask me! I love smoked salmon and if it wasn’t so expensive I would probably eat it every day…

But even so, I buy it regularly and about 80 % of the times we eat it in form of an open faced sandwich.

Either with cream cheese and capers + the rocket salad for a really luxurious sandwich or dark bread smeared with preserved horseradish and vegetable sticks or slices on the side. A delicious and healthy sandwich, my favorite kind of breakfast!

We do love open sandwiches, they are a quick and always satisfying kind of food, you can have them either for breakfast or dinner, for a quick lunch or as a snack in between.

 

 

They can be simple ones from the ubiquitous cheese or/and ham sandwich to more interesting combinations like camembert and cranberry preserves or homemade pesto, sandwiches with poached eggs or other open faced sandwiches topped with homemade spreads like ajvar or wild garlic sunflower spread.

Sandwiches, either open faced or not, are loved all around the world as well, why not try a Japanese pork sandwich – katsu sando, a crispy baked French croque monsier, any of these amazing Danish smorrebrod ideas, a Polish zapiekanka or a South American choripan con chimichurri?

Apparently, the origin of open faced sandwiches is to be traced back to the Middle Ages. During those times, thin slices of bread were used as plates to hold the food. They were called trenchers and were eaten at the end of the meal when they were already soaked in the juices of the food that had just laid on top.

 

 

INGREDIENTS FOR SMOKED SALMON SANDWICH

Smoked salmon:

• I know that smoked salmon is not exactly cheap, but please don’t go for the cheapest version. You don’t have to buy the most expensive one either, but make sure the smoked salmon you buy is good.
• There are some scary pink, cheap varieties, I tried some once – never again! It was really bad, tasted only of chemicals and smoke, had a undesired creamy texture and the color… well, as mentioned above, it was scary.
• Smoked salmon also goes a long way, you don’t have to top your open faced sanwich with 3 slices of salmon (like in the photographs), you can get away with only one larger slice, the salmon sandwich will still taste amazing!

Bread:

• I always make the smoked salmon sandwiches (or most any other open sandwiches) with dark rye bread or the regular German sourdough bread, which can be either wholemeal or made with a mixture of whole wheat and white flour.
• You can choose white bread if you serve these smoked salmon sandwiches as canapes/ appetizers. But I would not choose white bread for breakfast or lunch, it is just not filling enough, I definitely prefer more “serious” bread.
• I don’t recommend using packaged toast bread, either for these open faced sandwiches with salmon nor for any other sandwiches wheatsoever. It is just not good! The sweet taste will ruin the flavor, and the extreme softness will ruin the consistency.

 

 

Capers:

• I used to dislike capers… but not anymore. I guess, when it comes to capers it is a bit like with olives or cilantro, you have to learn to like them.
• You can use the usual small capers in brine or the large caperberries. If you choose the latter, chop them roughly.

Cream cheese:

• You can use regular cream cheese (Philadelphia style) or reduced-fat cream cheese. However, make sure that the cheese has at least about 16 % fat. Any less and it only tastes like creamy chalk…

Greek yogurt:

• You will need the yogurt to make the cream cheese spread softer and more spreadable. Again full-fat or low-fat, it is up to you.

 

 

HOW TO MAKE AN OPEN FACED SANDWICH

1. Mix together the cream cheese and the yogurt. Add a pinch of chili, to taste.
2. Wash, dry and chop the rocket. Set aside.
3. Toast the bread slices.
4. If using caperberries, chop them roughly. If using regular capers, leave them whole.
5. Spread the cream cheese mixture on the bread slices.
6. Cover with chopped rocket.
7. Arrange the salmon slices and the capers on top.
8. Add some salt and freshly ground black pepper.
9. Squeeze a little lemon juice over the salmon.
10. Sprinkle with chopped chives and a little more chili, to taste.

 

 

OTHER OPEN FACED SANDWICHES

As mentioned above, a quick and healthy sandwich is a wonderful meal either for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Why not make it more interesting than just cheese or deli meats?

You could try some scrambled eggs on toast or poached eggs and mushrooms on toast for breakfast. Or one of my favorite egg sandwiches ever: poached eggs and roasted cherry tomatoes on toast! So good, you will keep making it again and again!

And don’t forget to check these Danish open faced sandwiches or smorrebrod, they are amazing and so many of them, you will definitely be able to find a combination that you would like to try.